WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 15 June 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

VON HUTIER HELD UP. FRENCH CONSOLIDATING POSITIONS. LONDON, June 13. A French .communique reports: The enemy has not renewed his attack between Montdidier and the region of Antheuil. We consolidated the positions on our right. Our counter-attack threw back the enemy on the northern bank of the Matz, and we re-occupied the height of Croiz, Eicard, and Melieeq, taking a hundred prisoners and some machine-guns. Fighting continues violently between the Aisne and the forest -of Villers Cotterets. The Germans made progress as far as the ravine past La Versine, and after a desperate struggle obtained a footing at St. iPfierfei AigSe. on /the northeastern fringe of Villers Cotterets Forest. The enemy violently attacked on the front from Boufesches to B'elleau Wood, north of the Marne, but troops shattered the attack, inflicting heavy losses and entirely maintaining their gains, EVEN AFTER PARIS. FRENCH WELL PREPARED SYDNEY, June 13. Speaking at a luncheon prior to leaving Australia, M. Chayet, French Consul-General, said he was : . aware before the war of a very careful plan which had been prepared for the defence of the central plateau in France, in the suppositions case of a war with Germany, in which the foe might capture Paris. Hence he was assured that if Germany did take Paris his country would continue to fight on with all their strength and courage. FRENCH RE-ESTABLISH THEIR LINE. '

LONDON, June 14. At 3 o’clock this morning a French communique stated: The Germans powerfully counter attacked between Courcelles and north of Mery, but were caught by our fire and compelled to retire to the starting point, with, heavy losses and without approaching our positions. Maprial captured in our attacks on the 11th included ten guns, of which four were heavy, also numerous machine guns. ■The day was quiet between the Aisne and the Oise^ The enemy south of the Aisne continued his drive between the Aisne and the Forest of Villers Cotterets, but was repulsed at most points. The enemy gained a footing in the village of Liversine. but all his attempts to debouch from Coeuvres and to advance "west of Vertefeville Farm completely failed. The enemy did not renew his attacks during the afternoon.' The Germans momentarily penetrated our lines north of Corey, but were ejected and we restored our positions entirely. There was lively artillery fire in the region of the Ourcq, in the direction of Champlat and La Pontelle, but all ■was quiet elsewhere. - AN AMERICAN ARMY ARRIVES MONTHLY. SPLENDID QUALITY OF THE MEN. COMPARED TO DOMINION SOLDIERS. Received 9.20 a.m. W I LONDON, June 14. W Colonel IReplngton says the ariva! of ‘Americans for the past two months la most remarkable, and we can almost say a new American army ar-

rives in France monthly. Americans are fighting wherever the generalissimo requires them, holding 7 an important sector on the eastern French front, also battling on the Marne and at Montdidier. All our commanders speak most highly of American battalions which have joined our armies, comparing them to Dominion troops who are second to none. PARIS, June 13. Despite the withdrawal to the left bank of the Oise, which was effected on Monday night, M. Clemenceau, in the Senate, was confident. He said the situation was exceedingly reassuring. The enemy had put enormous forces in the field and had suffered extraordinary losses. ENEMY FIRMLY HELD. LONDON, June 13. The French have stopped a most dangerous thrust which was striking at Compeigne from the north. They firmly hold the enemy from Mery ,to the Matz river. Foeh and Petain have the situation well in hand. At eleven this evening, Mr. Gerald Campbell, writing to the Daily Mail, stated: A battle is raging on a fifty mile front from Rubecourt to Bussiares. It has continued uninterruptedly since yesterday. The Marne battle for Compeigne holds the stage. SITUATION WELL IN HAND. ENEMY’S SEVERE CHECK. FRENCH REPULSE REPEATED AS- • SAULTS. ... - ENEMY ATTEMPTING A DIVERSION. Received 8,50 a.m. LONDON, June 14. Mr. Geo. Perris writes mat von Boehm’s attack on the eastern flank of the battle-field southward of the Aisne is intended to create a' diversion in consequence of von Hutier’s severe check westward, where is situated the real line of resistance. Von Boehm hurled five divisions astride the Laversine on a front of four miles, The French, although outnumbered, broke the repeated assaults and even advanced at Damard on the southern border of Villers Cotterets forest, more than counter-balancing the slight enemy gains on this front; but the most cheerful news consists of the French centre and left bringing to a stop, von Hutier’s attack from the north. If the Germans could have broken through by the open country westward of the Oise they would automatically cancel the enormous advantage of the great forests eastward of the Oise, which mask the Parisian region. The danger to the capital would then become immediate. We must not rejoice prematurely, but the present offensive has gained less than any of the preceding phases, while in the only vital part of the field the situation is well in hand.

SOMETHING FOE GEEMANY TO PONDEE OVEE. MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WILL BE SENT TO FRANCE. A SENSATIONAL STATEMENT Received 9 .15 a.m, WASHINGTON, June 14. Mr. Baker, in a speech at West Point, said it would shortly be reasonable to expect America's forces in France would exceed a million and the overnment would continue to send men till there was no doubt of the outcome 0 f the strngglo, general March, Chief g tafl „ Amcrica _ ig calmly determined to send men until we win the war, whatever number is required. If millions are needed we

will send them. The U-boat menace will not alter our policy one iota. Mr. Gerard, ex-Ambassador, in a speech, said. Before I left Berlin I learned that Germany’* aim was to seize the British navy, man it will . Germans, come to the United States and force America to pay the cost of the war. Every German business man knows defeat means financial ruin, and are now realising the hopelessness of securing an indemnity. HUNS BROUGHT TO A STANDSTILL. HIS LINES IN CONFUSION. IMPORTANT FRENCH SUCCESSES. Received 9.40 a.m. LONDON, June 14. r A French headquarters’ correspondent, writing yesterday afternoon, says along the Matz our counter attach pushed the enemy back, whereby we have recaptured the 'whole of the enemy’s yesterday’s gains. This morning our infantry cleared out the last of the enemy remnants from Melicocy, on the south bank of the Matz, between the Aisne and Villers Cotterets Forest. The enemy, attacking on a front of four miles, crossed the Dommieres plateau, and obtained a footing on the west side of the ravine separating it from Montagny and Montefou* plateau. Although markedly inferior in numbers the French are resisting gallantly. The enemy’s progress is slow and costly. The enemy so far has engaged five divisions on this battlefield, w'hereof two are fresh. At present the attack apparently is only a large diversion with the object of drawing our reserves from the main battlefield west of the Oise, where on Sunday the enemy had consistently the worst of the fighting. On the 11th the enemy sought by a general attack in great force to transform the terribly costly successes of the first two days’ fighting into a decisive victory. This intention was foiled hy French counter attacks Vhich broke his preparations, restoring to us an important series of positions. Thus the enemy’s whole front was thrown into a state of confusion on the third day. On the following day he merely attempted local attacks without result. If today passes without fresh efforts we may conclude that for the present the enemy has had enough and that the army which stopped the first rush in March can claim the honour of bringing the third onslaught to a standstill. The object of the enemy in this battle was the possession of the forests barring the approaches to Paris on the north. This battle of forests will be remembered as another victory for the French command and the Indomitable French infantry.

■ GERMANS BEATEN OFF. ; •"> WITH BLOODY LOSSES. A DIRTY GERMAN TRICK. Received 9.20 a.m. LONDON, June 14. The German attacks on Wednesday north of the Aisne, were repulsed with terrible losses, and a large number of German dead were left. The Germans attempted to deceive the French by sending out numbers of unarmed men, who pretended to be about to surrender. On nearing the French line they fell flat and revealed advancing armed Germans with machine guns. The French opened a murderous fire ana the Germans retreated. Five divisions were identified between the Aisne and the Forest of Villers Cptterets yesterday. It is estimated they lost twenty thousand. Mr. Hilaire Belloc says tne German numerical superiority in the West is ten against seven. The odds will be reduced by the Americans, but will take four to six months. IMPORTANT AMERICAN SUCCESS. Received 10.50 a.m. LONDON, June 14. An American communique states: We captured the last German position in Belleau Wood on the afternoon of the twelfth. Heavy enemy attacks on Thursday, on a U miles front, on the line Bellau-Bouresches, preceded by intense artillery fire, completely broke down .leaving our positions intact, The enemy’s losses are severe. Our airmen on the night of the 12th effectively bombed the stations at Dommary and Baroncourt. north-west-ward of Metz. All returned. an incident in the fighting. Received 10.50 a.m, LONDON, June 14. Mr. G, Perris, instancing the bitterness of the struggle, describes the fighting at Courcelles. The Germans advanced under cover of a wheatficld on Sunday morning and rushed the village. The French reformed and recaptured it, prisonering two hundred. New enemy waves returned, but were repulsed many times. The village became beset on three sides and furious fighting continued on Monday until the great French counter attack on

Tuesday relieved the heroic garrison. Allied airmen performed remarKable feats during this counter attack, sweeping low and machine-gunning the enemy, bombing his heavy batteries and working crews, and putting guns out of action. NO REST FOR THE HUNS. HARRASSED BY THE BRITISH. Received 10.50 a.m. LONDON, June 14. Mr. Perceval Phillips says prisoners admit the Germans bitterly resent the unpleasant’activity'©£ the British,'who are constantly and methodically probing and raiding, and scoring small successes in rectifying the advancing line. Tired German o divisions- ■ .withdrawn from- the active; front/: are promised rest and quiet on the supposition that the British are too weak to disturb them. They are soon disillusioned. Our frequent sudden day and night local attacks keep th e enemy in constant suspense, besides killing and prisonering many. THE CRITICAL HOUR. OF THE WAR. Received 10.35 a.m. LONDON, June 14. Mr. Asquith, in the- House of Commons, said it was useless to disguise The fact that the Allies had reached the critical hour of the war. GEEMAH OFFICIAL REPORT. LONDON, June 13. ■ A wireless German official message states: Strong French counter-attacks south-west of Noyon broke down with heavy losses. Over 60 armoured cars arc lying on the battlefield. Prisoners now- total 15,000. The enemy captured some of our guns. We attacked south of the Aisne and drove the enemy beyond Outry and Dommicrs. We cleared the enemy out of the region of Savieres, prisonering 1,500.

AIRMEN’S GREAT FEAT. HEAVY BATTERIES' SILENCED. . 1 LONDON, June 13. Reuter’s correspondent at French Headquarters states: The important role played by our air force in the battle is daily increasing. During the fighting, light bombardment squadrons preformed the unprecedented feat of attacking German heavy gun batteries in action, silencing them, and killing and scattering tho -.gunners. In the Picardy offensive our fighting planes repeatedly attacked field-gun batteries with machine-guns, but the silencing of heavy guns by bomb attacks from the air is a now achievement. AIRMEN WORK I-lAVOC ON INFANTRY. PARIS, June 13. A marked .feature of Wednesday’s fighting, when the Germans, by massed attacks, made determined but unsuccessful efforts to regain ground captured by French counter-attack'*, was the co-operation of Allied airmen. Flying low, they bombed land machine-gunned enemy troops, specially in the narrow defile of the Matz, which is piled with dead. The struggle was fiercest round Bclloy and the adjoining woods, where we captured an outwork. Depressed prisoners refuging ; in cellars and vaults were taken at j Belloy. j LONDON, June 13. Sir Douglas Haig reports: A sucI ecssful operation in the neighbourhood | of Morris yielded 48 prisoners,, six [ machine guns and a trench mortar.